The Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday morning. “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” led the way with 11 nominations, including Best Picture.
Here & Now’s Deepa Fernandes runs down some of the top nominees with John Horn, KPCC entertainment reporter and host of “The Retake.”
More Here & Now conversations about Oscar-nominated films
“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”
Nominated for Best Picture, Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song and Original Screenplay.
Michelle Yeoh, who plays Evelyn Quan Wang, is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Ke Huy Quan, who plays Waymond Wong, is nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Deirdre Beaubeirdre, and Stephanie Hsu, who plays Joy Wang, are both nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
This film was the multiverse movie of last year, and with 11 nominations, clearly the Oscars agree. It tells stories of family and love, intermixed with visuals of nihilistic bagels and floppy, hot dog fingers. Characters hop through seemingly endless realities, learning on the journey that regular moments and shared connections define the meaning of life.
Here & Now senior producer Emiko Tamagawa spoke with actor Quan last April about the film, his return to the big screen and his admiration for other great Asian performers.
Click here for that conversation.
“Stranger at the Gate”
Nominated for Best Documentary Short Film.
Based on a true story, the short film tells of former marine Richard “Mac” McKinney’s plan to bomb a local Islamic center in Indiana. But, the kindness he was shown by center attendees made him rethink the violence and join the community instead.
Here & Now’s Robin Young spoke with McKinney and Bibi Bahrami, co-founder of the Islamic center, last September.
Click here for that conversation.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Nominated for Best Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Song and Visual Effects.
Angela Bassett, who plays Queen Ramonda, is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
The sequel to 2018’s “Black Panther” opens with the funeral of King T’Challa, played in the first film by Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 of colorectal cancer. Bassett’s character Queen Ramonda is Wakanda’s new leader.
Bassett regards the film as an expression of how much she and the rest of the cast and crew loved Boseman. Host Young talked to Bassett last November about the impact of working with primarily-Black actors and continuing Boseman’s legacy.
Click here for that conversation.
“Women Talking”
Nominated for best picture and adapted screenplay.
When the women of an isolated religious sect discover that they have been routinely sexually assaulted by the men of the community, they must decide what action to take in order to reclaim their agency. The film is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Miriam Toews.
Actor and author Sarah Polley wrote and directed the film. She spoke with Young about it in December 2022.
Click here for that conversation.
“Turning Red”
Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film.
This film is panda-monium, literally. Protagonist Meilin has a great life; her group of friends is supportive and inseparable, and she shares a close relationship with her parents. There’s just one problem. When Meilin gets emotional, she turns into an 8-foot-tall red panda.
The film serves as a metaphor for “magical puberty,” says director and co-writer Domee Shi. Shi spoke with Here & Now’s Scott Tong last March about her love for animation and the inspiration she drew from her own life for “Turning Red.”
Click here for that conversation.
“Elvis”
Nominated for Best Picture, Cinematography, Sound, Costume Design, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling Production Design.
Austin Butler, who plays Elvis, is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
The “King of Rock and Roll” graces the big screen in this biopic that details the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. The film recounts his flamboyant style and performances, his fight against racism in his primarily-Black community and his descent into drug and alcohol addictions.
Director Baz Luhrmann calls himself a “romance addict” and this film a love letter to Presley. Lurhmann talked with host Young last June about the film.
Click here for that conversation.
Emiko Tamagawa produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Todd Mundt. Grace Griffin adapted it for the web.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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